Thursday, August 28, 2008

One of the fascinating things about vision is that it falls by definition ahead of the curve; thus, at first, it can sound unfamiliar and alien.

Consider this. Gandhi’s notion of returning India to Indian rule by nonviolent action was initially perceived as eccentric, invalid and dangerous. Only after it worked did it become a heralded method of speaking truth to power.

Family and friends of the Wright Brothers ridiculed their insistence that a machine could –and would- fly.Their idea was thought to be dead wrong; yet how did it turn out? They were Wright.

And, centuries ago, Jesus’ revelation that God is within us, not outside us, was considered false and heretical; in fact, it was held frightening enough to get him prosecuted and killed. Then, as now, a new vision doesn’t land lightly on closed minds.

So when a young politician appears on our horizon carrying a fresh and transcendent approach to national and world affairs, how can we be surprised that there are loud, angry protests from minds rooted in unoriginal thoughts?

Obama, a man gifted with both brilliance and vision, is speaking out for governance by sanity rather than tribal rigidities. To those who cannot allow themselves to see the power of that concept, he is and will remain unacceptable.

Yet. Think how extraordinary and life-enhancing it could be if it turns out there are more of us who see his vision than those who don’t.